Part 2 - After the World Ended

Over twenty songs are referenced in Cinnamon Toast and the End of the World. Some you may know, some you may not. Click on the section you're reading and all will be explained. (Not to be confused with my imaginary soundtrack, which includes thousands of perfect tunes, some of which can be found on 65 80s Songs.)

After the World Ended

(Chapters 9-13)

Hits of the era - the good, the bad, the unbearably cheesy...plus a few surprises.

Chapter 9

page 115

"Whitney Houston was screaming on my clock radio, cutting right through a dream. She wanted to dance with somebody. To feel the heat with somebody. The word 'heat' was a high cutesy squeak. The song charged on with marching band confidence. She'd find somebody to dance with, this girl.

I hit the off button several hundred times."

Whitney Houston - I Wanna Dance With Somebody

Chapter 11

page 137

"We were mesmerised by this one song Lana had on a mix tape her boyfriend Adam from the city had made for her, kept rewinding it and playing it over and over: The Smiths, 'Reel Around the Fountain'. Side by side with our backs to the cold radiator bawling out the words for what seemed like hours.

'God, Lana. Why can't I live in this song?'"

The Smiths - Reel Around the Fountain

page 137

"'In England they play this stuff on the radio,' she said. 'What do we get here? The St Elmo's Fire song. 'Man in Motion', every hour on the hour.' "

* Continuing the same conversation

John Parr - Man in Motion

Chapter 12

page 145

"I wanted a tune to keep me going. I wanted bagpipes, a battle march, maybe one of Mark's Presbyterian hymns.

All I could come up with was the theme from Benny Hill.

Well, it had an okay tempo."

* On the off-chance that you've never heard it...

Yakkety Sax (The Benny Hill Theme)

page 146

"The tune was something solid and measured, rising gradually like his voice was climbing wide, stone steps. A hymn."

* The hymn is 'He Who Would Valiant Be', written by John Bunyan in 1684 as part of The Pilgrim's Progress and originally called 'He Who Would True Valour See'. Since 1908 it's been sung to the tune of the traditional song 'Monk's Gate'. (Thank you Wikipedia.) 'He Who Would Valiant Be' gets several mentions in this chapter and pops up in the next one as well. Here is a nice instrumental version for guitar.

He Who Would Valiant Be (Monk's Gate)

Chapter 13

page 157

"I curled my fingers into a stiff tangle somewhere on the neck of the guitar, swiped at the strings with my other hand. My favourite Smiths song, sounding a bit mutilated. 'I Want the One I Can't Have'"